Kamala Harris, who served as vice president, is contemplating a bid for governor of California and has set a deadline for herself to make a decision.
While attending a pre-Oscars party last weekend, one of the attendees inquired as to when Harris might decide to run for governor of California. Two persons who were present on the discussion said she said it out loud: summer’s end.
Harris has made it plain in recent weeks in discussions with fans, allies, and close aides that she intends to make a decision in a few months.
This article was the first to report on Harris’ schedule, and it provides the strongest evidence that she may run for California governor to replace the termed-out Gavin Newsom. According to her supporters, if Harris were to win, she would likely rule out a presidential run in 2028, a year when she is still considering the possibility.
Despite Harris’s commanding leads in early national surveys of the pool of probable candidates, she has had honest discussions with Washington aides and confidants regarding the anticipated difficulty of the presidential primary.
An adviser to Harris said that the prospect of becoming the first Black woman to serve as governor in the United States and chief executive officer of the world’s fifth-largest economy has always piqued her interest.
It is clear from Harris’s public appearances since stepping down that she envisions a future for herself as the head of the Democratic Party, regardless of which coast she happens to be on.
She accepted the Chairman’s honor at the NAACP Image Awards a few weeks ago. This weekend, she will be visiting Las Vegas, a city in an early primary state, for a moderated discussion on AI and to meet with advisors on more strategies to keep her name in the national spotlight.
Under her newly established organization Pioneer49, Harris has also retained the services of some of her most senior and reliable advisors, such as chief of staff Sheila Nix, senior advisers Kirsten Allen and Ike Irby, and others. She still counts White House chief of staff Lorraine Voles among her informal kitchen cabinet’s essential members, along with longtime advisors Brian Nelson and Minyon Moore. Top California aides are patiently waiting for Harris to give the signal before getting involved. Harris has instructed her staff and supporters to maintain all avenues open after she lost the election.
“I will not back down from this fight,” she assured her supporters in private conversations and over the phone.
Harris has not yet formally discussed running for governor with anyone.
Several Democratic candidates from California who were interested in running for governor in 2026 have already begun to consider alternative possibilities in light of the mere possibility of her seeking the office. Rob Bonta, the state attorney general, has informed HEADLINESFOREVER that he will not be running for governor, in part because Harris’s candidacy would almost eliminate any opposition.
Hopefully, she does. “If she does, I have already taken the initiative to support her,” Bonta stated, “but I believe that only Kamala Harris knows the answer.”
In the state’s primary, the top two candidates—regardless of their party—go on to a November showdown. Katie Porter, a former Democratic representative who is watching the campaign carefully, has hinted that she would not oppose Harris.
A close ally of Harris in California, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis would likewise step aside and probably join another statewide contest if Harris were to run. The two of them share several top strategists. Toni Atkins, a former leader in the state Senate, Betty Yee, a former controller, and Tony Thurmond, a former superintendent of schools, are among those who have long backed Harris. Only Antonio Villaraigosa, the former mayor of Los Angeles, has indicated that he would remain in the race, and even his own supporters are skeptical.
The impact of her name recognition, favorables, and capacity to run a winning campaign would be to clear the field on the Democratic side, according to Bonta. “Would you like me to tell anyone who wants to remain that they should get out of here because she’s clearing the field?” Not at all. Run they can. I am rooting for her because I think they will lose.